Just after 7 p.m. Thursday a car on Dustman Rd. went off the road and struck a small John Deere tractor that was sitting off the roadway. The tractor was not in use at the time. The driver was westbound on Dustman Rd. and was blinded by the very low angle of the sun and […]
POSTED: 09/24/26 at 8:33 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Submitted information BLUFFTON — At exactly 11:55 a.m. on Saturday, October 10, the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society will reenact the moment when John Dillinger walked into Citizens National Bank in the village on August 14, 1933 and stole $2,100. The historically accurate script is written by Fred Steiner, narrated by Kevin Gratz, and involves a […]
POSTED: 09/24/26 at 8:32 pm. FILED UNDER: News
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 1:30 a.m. – Dispatched Ohio City EMS to a residence on Willshire Ohio City Road in Pleasant Township for a subject who fell. 2:11 a.m. – Deputies responded to a residence on Monmouth Road in Harrison Township for a report of suspicious activity. 8:23 a.m. – Deputies responded to an area […]
POSTED: 09/24/26 at 8:06 am. FILED UNDER: Law Enforcement
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 4:02 a.m. – Dispatched Van Wert EMS to a residence on Lincoln Highway in Pleasant Township for a subject with abdominal pain. 5:53 a.m. – Deputies responded to an area of U.S. 127 in Liberty Township for a report of reckless driving. 10:04 a.m. – Dispatched Van Wert Fire to a […]
POSTED: 09/24/26 at 8:01 am. FILED UNDER: Law Enforcement
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor The results of the latest school report card was the focus of Wednesday’s monthly meeting of the Van Wert City Schools Board of Education. Superintendent Mark Bagley and Director of Curriculum Chris Covey delivered it as a “State of the District” presentation. Van Wert City Schools received an overall rating of 3.5 […]
POSTED: 09/23/26 at 8:33 pm. FILED UNDER: News
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor A Van Wert man named in a major drug indictment this past summer agreed to a plea deal. During a recent hearing in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court, Devin Couch, 21, of Van Wert changed his plea to guilty four charges: possession of cocaine, a first degree felony; possession of drugs, […]
POSTED: 09/23/26 at 8:32 pm. FILED UNDER: News
A fire broke out at home on Van Wert-Willshire Road at approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday. Ohio City Fire Department was paged to the active fire and mutual aid was immediately called for from Van Wert, Wren, Rockford, and Convoy for tankers and equipment. The blaze was quickly put down but caused heavy damage to the […]
POSTED: 09/23/26 at 8:31 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff Two people were arraigned and two others changed their respective pleas during hearings held in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court between Monday, September 14 and Wednesday, September 23. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over each of the hearings. Ernie Teman, 51, of Delphos, entered a not guilty plea to receiving stolen […]
POSTED: 09/23/26 at 8:30 pm. FILED UNDER: News
The Van Wert County Democratic Party held its fall banquet Tuesday night and former Governor Ted Strikland was the keynote speaker at the event. Shown above from left to right are Van Wert County Democratic Party Chair Kirsten Barnhart., Ted Strickland, Maddux McCray (running for Ohio House District 82 seat) and Joshua Kolasinski (running for […]
POSTED: 09/23/26 at 8:30 pm. FILED UNDER: News
VW independent staff TOLEDO — A former mail carrier from Van Wert was sentenced in federal court this week for setting fire to undelivered mail last fall. Kyle Carver was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Toledo to three years of probation and fined $100 on a felony charge of delay or destruction of mail. […]
POSTED: 09/23/26 at 8:29 pm. FILED UNDER: News